#PAGov: What Does Allyson Schwartz Like About Third Way?

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If the Third Way op-ed slamming progressive heroes Elizabeth Warren and Bill DeBlasio was “outrageous,” then what does Allyson Schwartz like about that organization? Why is she an honorary co-chair?

Trying to convince Democratic politicians to cut Social Security and Medicare benefits is like 80% of what this organization does. The rest of their domestic policy agenda, as Matt Yglesias memorably put it, is “hyper-timid incrementalist bullshit.” They’re a political messaging and tactics shop whose Board of Trustees is dominated by investment bankers.Of course they hate Elizabeth Warren.

To some extent this is just intra-left tribal politics, because Schwartz has a good record on Social Security, and an okay record on health care. But primary elections are all about intra-left tribal politics, and in a campaign where all the frontrunners will have mostly the same issue positions by primary election day, these tribal affiliations loom large.

And it’s not just tribal politics. Schwartz has been the Vice Chair of the corporatist New Democrats in the House since 2009, so it’s not like this is just a random honorary membership she forgot she had. She’s actually backing it up in the legislature with anti-consumer votes on the type of low-profile issues in Internet, health care, and financial regulation where New Democrats distinguish themselves from good Democrats.

So I’d love to know what exactly is so important to Schwartz about what Third Way and the New Democrats stand for that she wants to keep serving in leadership positions with them.